Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Looking for a Bluetooth midi keyboard or grid controller. Dig the xKeyAir, but...
I'm looking for a midi keyboard recommendation. Maybe a keyboard, maybe a grid controller.
The 25 key cme xkey air really appeals to me but I don't know if I could tolerate those clicking noises from the keys. I've also heard stories of connection issues.
These are my requirements:
Does not require desktop software (rules out things like Sensel Morph)
Light, slim, minimalist (hence the appeal of the xkey air)
Very portable (must be small and rugged enough to throw in a bag without worrying about it, I spend a lot of time outside, again the xkey air seems quite good in that regard)
Nice build quality (Korg Nano stuff feels and looks cheap, not what I'm looking for)
Quiet (no loud noises while pressing keys)
Bluetooth, and no connection issues (heard complaints about xkey reliability over Bluetooth)
Just want a keyboard, don't need knobs, pads etc (I already have a nanokontrol studio)
No need for full size keys, though I wouldn't want something super tiny like the OffGrid
The look and feel are really important to me, must be super portable but also be a beautiful object.
MPE (or poly aftertouch) would be great, but something like the Seaboard is not suited to normal piano playing. The Sensel Morph needs desktop access to switch between normal and mpe modes, so isn't suitable. I need a controller that, if it is mpe, must also function well for non mpe instruments.
Suitable for playing with eyes closed (the piano style overlay of the Sensel Morph, for example, is less than ideal in this regard as it is so flat). One of the main reasons I want to use an actual keyboard rather than a keyboard app is so I can rest my fatigued eyes.
Thnx!
Comments
NanoKEY Studio is a lot tougher than it looks. 😂
My Strat’s wall hanger decided it didn’t want to be one anymore and the guitar fell three feet straight down onto the NKS. It landed whammy bar point down smack on the XY pad, launched the keyboard three feet into the air, bouncing it off of the desk and onto the hardwood floor.
The Strat just shook it off and said “Woah dude, what just happened?” Of course.
The NanoKEY kersploaded. Keys and knobs everywhere. But I just scooped ‘em all up, popped them all back on and it was like nothing ever happened. There’s a small divot from the whammy bar point impact, but it has no operational effect.
Anyway … just felt like telling the story. I’m not recommending the NKS for you. ✌️
Hey Gav have you looked into the Keith McMillen boards? The QuNexus and K-Board are both MPE keyboards and each has 2 octaves. Unfortunately neither is Bluetooth. How big of a feature is that? It unfortunately kinda limits your options.
The Korg Microkey Air series is good. Not MPE but has velocity sensitivity and the one I owned didn’t have any noticeable latency. And it’s “normal” keys and not the clacky xkey kind.
Lastly there’s the MWave keyboard. It’s Bluetooth and does have knobs and pads, but also a decent 2 octave keyboard. And the reviews have been pretty good.
Outside of that, there aren’t a whole lot of options in the Bluetooth category and I can’t think of any that will have every feature you’re looking for. Expanding it to usb and using a hub with a headphone port would give you so many more to choose from.
I’m super curious about this guy:
https://www.amazon.com/M-WAVE-Controller-Bluetooth-Professional-Production/dp/B0B66T4DHK/
Also a heads up there’s an MK2 that just came out that has all 16 pads available at once as well as a couple other features. Taetro on YouTube made a good video about it recently.
Thanks brorher! I know the options are limited but I genuinely spend most of the day outside and don't always have convenient access to a power source. I also don't like hubs as I went through 2 or already and all ended up failing. So Bluetooth is a must, sadly. I have a large microkey in storage, and I am considering one, though they're bulkier than I'd like and feel cheap.
The MWave looks easier to damage while taking around with you, with the knobs etc and, like the xkey air, is bulkier than I'd like. I may just have to go for the xkey air and send it back if I have connection problems. It has that quality, beautiful object vibe that I really want. Those keys are damn noisy tho, if vids I've seen are anything to go by. I watched one video where the youtuber was a bit negative about the xkey air, and I think almost every single comment from past or present owners on the vid was also negative. Yet some ppl love them.
Yeah Wim, this I think is currently number 1 on my list of alternatives to the xkey air, despite being bulkier than I'd like. Seems really well thought out
I think my ideal would be the 37 key XKey Air. Not as portable but those extra keys would be so worth it.
Yes, definitely. Thing is tho, I think that might take you outside the size allowed on a plane inside cabin luggage. @andowrites had a post somewhere here about that. And I would he taking it outside every day, I worry I might start to regret the purchase haha. The thought of 2 25-key ones, playing one with left hand, one with right might sound weird but is kind of appealing to me and would solve any worries about luggage size etc. I would definitely just start with one, mind u, and see how I liked it. Those Xkey Airs are really lovely objects, to my taste. Damn clacky though! Buttons instead of wheels for pitch bend and mod also seems like something that might be far from ideal.
Yeah some people really love em and I see them pop up in various YouTube videos quite often. The xKey-37 was my top keyboard to get at one point before I decided on the MiniLab3. Luckily my iPad is usb-c so I don’t need any additional power. Just keyboard-hub-iPad. But I definitely see the need/want for Bluetooth as well. Also IIRC it has aftertouch which is really rare for a controller that size in that price range. And like you said, they simply just look good. Every picture I see of an iPad with the xKey looks great. And I believe the have an iOS app for all the adjustments (if you need to make any).
I can't helo wondering if people having connection issues is due to some kind of user error. Seems almost inconceivable that a controller that's been out that long would have those kind of problems. That clackiness though, I'm not even sure that headphones would be enough to get rid of that.
For the clackiness: I had a Digitakt and Digitone for a long time and they have the same clacky buttons and I never thought it was all that bad. And could barely hear it over the sound in my headphones and I usually never noticed it. I’m not sure how similar they are but I imagine pretty similar. If so, I’d say you will likely end up being mostly unbothered.
I hadn’t really much about the connection issues but I’m inclined to agree. CME seems fairly active. I mean the iOS app was update 6 months ago so I would assume they would’ve fixed a malfunction that major. Also seems to be pretty detailed editing of the velocity curves and AT values which is nice. I gotta stop looking before I sell myself on another keyboard. I’m busy saving for the 404 I can’t do it 🤣
But yeah @HotStrange, part of me wonders if I should just get a hub again. Are all wired midi controllers capable of charging themselves off the iPad power though? And if so do they eat much battery? I do have a huge preference for no wires tho
Ah haha... Yeah this forum is dangerous
Depending on what you got currently, CME Widi might be an option, if only Bluetooth takes you a bit on the way. I'm quite happy with mine and I got me a power-bank to drive it that one did not cost much either (can be useful on other occasions too). Sorry if I misunderstand what you're after, my eyes don't like to read today.
So I use mine with my normal iPad charger and it charges it veeeery slowly. Like 2-4% an hour. But I’m sure a MacBook charger or something similar would work better. And it’s gotta be plugging into the wall. On its own - so out and about - it only powers the keyboard itself. But it does keep my iPad from loosing battery which is equally important.
As far as just powering the controller, I’ve yet to use one that couldn’t be powered by the iPad. The MiniLab works perfectly I love it. Both Akais I had and both iRigs worked fine as well. If you have usb-c you don’t even need a CCK or dongle. Battery drain happens but it isn’t anything more then I expected. I think on a full charge I could use my iPad and controller for at least a couple hours or so.
Just a note regarding Bluetooth MIDI controller disconnects. I have the M-VAVE Chocolate controller with 4 pedal switches. It was being reliably dropped by iPadOS after 56 minutes connected, whether actively used or not. Had to force-quit and reload AUM to reconnect. I made a StreamByter script to send a MIDI Active Sensing message to it every 60 seconds. Sending this meaningless message to the controller kept it connected for hours, with very intermittent use. This might work for other BT controllers that lose connection.
I’ve got Yamaha Reface CP with CME WIDI jack. Battery powered, portable, great both standalone (sounds really nice) and when used as a controller. The keybed feels right and so do the mini keys. It has usable stereo speakers, I often plug iPad’s audio output into Reface’s Aux port when I get tired from headphones.
Oh I'm definitely not looking to pay extra for something with its own sounds, I've already got way more synths than I know what to do with on my ipad haha. But yeah the cme widi thing is worth considering, would open up the options significantly, thnx also to @Pxlhg for recommending that.
Here's another option: https://www.thomannmusic.com/swissonic_minikey_25.htm
@Gavinski let us know what you end up going with!
I forgot to mention mWave and Akai both have small 2 octave midi controllers that are nothing but they keys. May be worth looking into.
I was in this same spot last year and the clicky clacky keys also kept me away from the Xkey as I wanted something I can play in bed at night without waking my wife. After demoing several different options such as K-boards (not bad, but wasn't crazy about the key layout vs a real keyboard) and LUMI keys (too gimmicky + shoddy build quality and weird action), I ended up going with the Joué Play and have been really happy. it's silent, has MPE and aftertouch which were really important to me, and it's also several instruments-in-one with the drumpads and guitar pads. The price is a bit steep, but was worth it to me because of the high quality and I felt like I got what I paid for in this case.
With that said, the Joué unfortunately doesn't have Bluetooth, but only needs USB so my iPad powers it just fine, and I don't even need an audio interface as I just use a simple USB splitter so I can connect both the Joué and headphones at the same time.
I have used the CME WIDI Uhost and it works well. It adds more "stuff" to your portable setup (the WIDI Uhost, 2 cables and a portable charger). Other than the clicky-clacky keys, the XKey Air is incredible. You can use key-press combinations to turn on / off channel pressure, polyphonic aftertouch, and multiple velocity curves. I have combined the 37 with the 25 to get a very-portable 61-key keyboard (1 key is a duplicate). The CME Solar case holds both. https://xkeyair.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/10.jpg
Nice setup!
Apart from not being Bluetooth this does look pretty damn good and ticks quite a few boxes. A bit more than I would like to spend, but super versatile, 4 overlays is hugely appealing, as is mpe.
I guess I would have 2 questions initially - does it eat the iPad battery much running off the iPad battery? I would imagine devices like this would not use much battery, but that's worth checking. 2nd question might be, what's the playing experience like for non-mpe instruments? Roli Seaboard, for example, is not a good experience for that at all. I guess this would be fine though, surface looks totally different, more similar to the Sensel Morph. Oh, and a 3rd question actually. I saw someone online mention that they needed to connect to a desktop to update the firmware. Is that still the case because that would be a deal breaker for me. I also saw someone saying they just had a nightmare installing the firmware, took hours, and much connecting and disconnecting of the device to get it to work.
Interesting, thnx! Tbh, in these situations it sometimes ends up that I don't go with anything as I simply can't make up my mind lol
Looks interesting as a budget, and quiet option, albeit lacking that quality feel and look of the xkey air, as well as being bulkier. Not coming up as available online in Thailand, annoyingly, which is also the case for the Joue Play btw. And in fact, the Xkey Airs, whether 25 or 37 key versions, seem to be completely out of stock everywhere here. Maybe a case of ordering from abroad, though I had some bad experiences with dealing with customs in China that really put me off ordering things from overseas. Maybe the Thai customs are better, another frigging thing to weigh up lol.
@bluegroove another thing I would ask about the Joue would be whether you have run into problems with things like stuck notes, keys/pads sometimes not responding etc. I had these kinds of problems with both the Sensel Morph and the Roli Seaboard, and found these problems so tedious that they completely killed my love for them. I saw some ppl mentioning problems like these in online reviews, which is a huge red flag for me. I just want something that's always going to work as expected, unless it actually breaks. Is this really so much to ask 😂?
It looks like there is a "M-Vave" version of the keyboard available too: https://www.temu.com/mini25-portable-25-key-usb-midi-keyboard-midi-controller-with-25-velocity-sensitive-keys-8-rgb-backlit-pads-8-knobs-g-601099515184156.html
1.) Doesn't use much battery at all
2.) Playing surface is great for non MPE instruments. 90% of the time I'm running Pianoteq, and combining with various things and it's lovely.
3.) Unfortunately you do need to use a desktop to upgrade the firmware afaik, but honestly I only updated the firmware once and haven't had to mess with anything since. It's been solid as a rock.
No I've never had any stuck notes in almost a full year of use, every night for multi hour jam sessions.
Nice! A bit more than I would like to spend for a small controller, but it does look really good, thnx for the info
I think you've given me gas for that Joue haha. It looks to me that, although all the surfaces are gorgeous, they're not really necessary. I just want to check if I understand correctly:
If you pay for the pro upgrade you could then assign any pad in a controller to send basically any kind of midi messages, is that right?
So, for example, if I bought the 'Keys' surface, could I keep all the pads for notes, except for one which I could then assign to, say, a particular midi cc?
And on the ones with notes can you set them all up to respond to per note pitch bend, pressure and cc74？if so, I think I would maybe get away with getting just 1 or 2 surfaces, for example the 'Guitar' one and the 'Keys' one mentioned above.
I would still be left with the problem of getting delivery to Thailand, as it seems there are no sellers in this region and Joué also don't even ship here. But yes, it's almost exactly what I'm looking for, apart from not being Bluetooth. I don't have much stuff at the moment, so if I fork out for a new controller I kind of want it to be the sort of thing I could really fall in love with. This looks like it would be a good candidate for that!
@Gavinski haha I know that feeling very well! It took me many days of research and reading and watching to finally decide which controller I wanted to get. Good luck in your search
I’m happy with the MiniLab so far, so now I’m saving up for the 404 😂